Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-25
New Navy of the British Govern
ment.

About the time when our new cruisers
first touch salt water the British admir-.
atty will have, fully equipped and ready
for service, fleet of twenty-five armor-
clada, which will represent the highest
development so far in English ship.
building. Besides these, considerable
number of vessels of less recent con-
structiop, but excellent of their kind,
like the Polyphemus, will of course
form part OF the active fleet, while
others which are considered as falling
short of the requirements re of the age will
form a reserve force for this purpose OF
coast and harbor defense.
OF the twenty-five new ships, the
total cost of which exceeds S65, 900, 900,
several are already in commission;
Others are complete with the exception
of their armament; only few are still
in the earlier stages of construction.
Three types OF armor. clad ships APP
pear to have been definitely adopted by
the Admiralty. AT any rate, the
twenty-five new vessels may be divided
under three heads.
Nine of the twenty-five are turret
ships, with an average displacement OF
about 800 tons. The largest of these
are the Nile and the Trafalgar, with
IL 940 tons, lO,500 horsepower and
twelve guns. The smallest is the Hero,
with 6,2OO tons, 5000 horsepower, six
guns. But the most formidable, probably,
are the Renown, Sans Parell and Vic.
toria, which, falling but little short OF
the Nile and Trafalgar in size, have a
horsepower of 10000 and larger
number of guns, two of which are the
ll0-ton size. The speed designed for
these three ships is seventeen knots.
The small turret ship Hero carries 45.
ton guns and has speed Of only fifteen
knots--.equal, say, to that of the AT
lanta.
The second type of armor.clads is the
barbette.ship. Eight of the new vessels
are of this type. Their average tonnage
is about 9l60. The two smallest arr
the Warsp pite and Imperieuse. Thes'
have displacement of 1890 tons, carry
ten guns and are propelled by engines
OF 5000 horse power. The other six-th'
Admiral ships-are much larger. Th'
Arson, Benhow and Camperdown hav
the greatest tonnage 100000, but th
Collingwood, Howe and Rodney are th'
most powerful ships of this class, hav
ing 1000 tons less displacement, bu
being similarly armed and possessing
engines with $3.50 horse power, 2O0t
more than the three first named of thu
"Admiral" ships.
The eight remaining vessels are cruis
ers, and are all precisely the same il
type, size, horsepower and armament
They are plated with steel armor, car
rying twelve guns, have displacement
OF 5000 tons, and are propelled at rat
of eighteen knots by engines of 500
horse-po Ser.
In addition to these armor-clad yes
sells, Great Britain has in process of con
struction large number of torped
cruisers, torpedo boats, composite gun
boats, torpedo gunboats, compost
sloops and unarmored steam cruisers
altogether formidable array of ships c
| war;
Several OF the last named, either re
Gently completed or approaching con
pletion, are similar in size and characte
to our own new cruisers; as, for exampl,
the Amphion and Arethusa no guns an
$3.50 horse.power) complete, and til
Forth and Severn Q2 guns, $3.50 tom
5000 horse power), nearly complete.
New Orleans Times Democrat.